


Haddonfield: The Wrath of Michael Myers

by Kanti_BlackWings



Category: Halloween (2018), Halloween - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 14:20:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19477672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanti_BlackWings/pseuds/Kanti_BlackWings
Summary: In the year 2000 (five years after the events of Curse of Michael Myers) Tommy Doyle and Kara Strode are now living far away from Haddonfield. Living in relative peace and hiding out in plain site, they have done all they can do to rebuild their lives as they work together to raise Danny and Steven. In the midst of this, The Shape appears again when Halloween rolls around and unleashes a whole new wave of terror.





	1. PROLOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting next the day from where The Curse of Michael Myers left off, the immediate aftermath of the Shape's killing spree at Smith's Grove Sanitarium from is explored.

(11/01/95)

Just as the sun was rising on the morning after Halloween, a slew of cop cars and news vans surrounded Smith's Grove Sanitarium. One man, a reporter, stood with a camera crew in front of the main entrance of the the facility. Staring intently into the camera with a microphone in hand, he began his report. 

"We’re here at the scene of Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where a massacre has occurred. The body of doctor Terrance Wynn, who was the head administrator of the hospital, was found in the facility. He was discovered alongside doctor Samuel Loomis, who was the former psychologist of notorious serial killer Michael Myers. Reports of as many as a dozen bodies, many of them hospital personnel, were also said to have been found at the scene. The murderer, currently suspected to be Myers, is still at large. This gruesome discovery comes on the heels of a brutal killing spree discovered in Haddonfield last night and into the early hours this morning. There, the bodies of more victims were found at various locales in town, including radio personality Barry Simms. Simms, who was the host of the popular program Back Talk, was discovered to have been savagely stabbed to death before being left hanging in a tree. With every incident, the victims were each met with a horrific and untimely end. And, if this story couldn't get even more bizarre, the body of Jamie Lloyd was one of the victims discovered. She was found in a barn on the outskirts of Haddonfield yesterday morning, leaving local police even more baffled as these events continue to unfold. Lloyd, who went missing and was presumed dead for the past six years, is, in fact, the biological niece of Myers. Perhaps the police could shed more light on this aspect of the case. In fact, here comes one of them now. Officer! Officer, can I have a quick word with you regarding the investigation?"

The cameraman panned around to reveal an older man in a Haddonfield police uniform. It was the very same officer who'd been at the scene the day before when Jamie's body had been discovered. Exasperated, he stopped at the steps of the sanitarium entrance, turning his attention to the news broadcaster.

"Can I help you?" he asked, letting out an irritated sigh.

"I won't take too much of your time, officer, um..."

"Holdt," answered the man. "I'm officer Sheriff Holdt of the Haddonfield police department. What do you wanna know?"

"Well, sir," started the news man. "How are the police in Haddonfield dealing with the aftermath of these gruesome murders?"

"It's all just a huge mess," answered Holdt. "Right now, we're doing our best to clean up the carnage in the wake of Michael Myers' reign of terror. We know we'll be able to bring him back into our custody in time and we know how best to deal with him."

"And what of the other incidents revolving around the police force in Haddonfield? Are there not other instances where law enforcement struggled to stop Myers, often with multiple fatalities involved?"

"I really can't comment on that," said Holdt. "Right now, I need to get inside and probe for answers, for the sake of the people back home. We are, after all, like one big family. As such, I do all that I can to protect and uphold my own."

"And what of the crime scene where Jamie Lloyd was found?" asked the newsman. "We've received reports of some sort of symbol being burned onto, from what I read in my report, a haystack? Is that correct?"

"Yes," answered Sheriff Holdt annoyed. "But, it was little more than graffiti created by a psychotic person. Other than that, we don't need it to be twisted into some kind of macabre ghost story. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"But Sheriff Holdt," protested the newscaster. "What about the other rumors revolving around an alleged cult, is their any substance to that?"

Choosing to ignore any more of the newsman's questions, Sheriff Holdt said nothing else before entering into Smith's Grove with the camera keeping the focus on him as he vanished behind the door.

"There you have it," started the newsman again. "That's the official word from the Haddonfield police department. Based on this, it can be deduced that police are simply stumped by the brutal nature of these crimes. Further, at this point, the names of the other victims have yet to be released to the public. Meanwhile, police from the surrounding area, as well Russellville and Langdon, are currently scrambling in the aftermath of these bloodbaths. No other word yet on how much progress has been made toward apprehending the suspect. In addition to these reports, just as I mentioned a moment ago, there are also rumors going around of an alleged cult that may have been involved with not only the murders, but with Michael Myers himself. As such, these claims are, as of yet, completely unsubstantiated and remain unconfirmed. As of right now, we've received word from law enforcement that Michael Myers is still at large with every possible lead being pursued. And while they claim it's only a matter of time before he's found and apprehended, the police here at the Smith's Grove Sanitarium are still on the scene struggling to determine what exactly transpired last night..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came across the original short story version of this story through an acquaintance and fellow Halloween fan on Reddit (Ghost_Nation03).
> 
> The first version was a huge mess, but had a lot of interesting conceptual ideas.
> 
> Found here:
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/647869271-haddonfield-the-wrath-of-michael-myers-novella
> 
> My main idea was that the ending of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (the sixth entry in the franchise), despite having the two versions - Theatrical and Producer's Cut - is rather inconclusive. As such, I felt that there were some interesting narrative loose ends that could be teased out while also allowing for the story to be expanded upon in such a way to restore The Shape as a singular force of ultimate evil.
> 
> Also with this story, I am treating the Theatrical ending as the canon ending of the sixth film. However, I am basically remixing plot elements from both cuts to create a more cohesive and richer story.


	2. October 31st, 1995 - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This continuation of the prologue takes the story back to the night before, picking up mere moments where Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers ended.

Tommy Doyle had finally faced down the horror that haunted him for nearly twenty years. In his so many of his restless dreams he was still a child. In them, he'd often hear the echoed tormenting chants of his grade school bullies Lonnie Elam and his friends as they mocked him with "He's gonna get you! He's gonna get you! He's gonna get you!" 

Meanwhile, he would run and scream into the night, but he couldn't ever escape it. Around every corner and always waiting in the dark, The Shape was there, hunting him down. Shaking Tommy with terror that made him regress into that same fearful boy from all those years ago, it was his personal boogeyman, Michael Myers, who'd stalked his nightmares since that fateful Halloween in 1978...

For years, that same fear consumed Tommy to the point of obsession. It had become his mission to keep a watchful vigil for Michael's return and to be ready to take acton when the time arose. Now, here he was in the midst of the night he'd both anticipated and dreaded. He felt the breadth of that fear with every elevated heartbeat and cold sweat that his body mustered.

In the face of this long awaited confrontation with Michael Myers, Tommy laughed in anguished ecstasy and outright horror as he swung the heavy lead pipe towards the monster's head, landing a sharp blow. This was followed by another swing and then another. Taking a few more swings , images flashed in Tommy's mind of that first night when Michael came home. He could still see his looming silhouette standing, and simply waiting, across the street. It was the start of a murderous path with a blood-soaked trail and an onslaught go horrors wrought upon Haddonfield that led to this moment. 

When he dropped the enormous lead pipe, Tommy's breathing had grown heavy from the intense task. He watched with baited breath as Michael went down and stayed down. At this point, it seemed apparent that he wasn't getting back up, either from this attack or from the corrosive chemical injections finally taking their effect. All the same, Tommy let out a sigh of relief in the face of the momentary reprieve.

Not fully convinced it was entirely over, Tommy moved quickly but quietly past the incapacitated Michael. Outside of the laboratory, he soon found Dr. Loomis, Kara Strode, and her son Danny with newcomer baby Steven in his arms. They briskly walked the darkened halls in silence before making their way to the a service entrance on the side of the Smith's Grove facility. It was in that space of quiet and eerie ambiance that the full impact of the night's horrors finally struck them.

Saying nothing, Danny let out a whimper as he turned back to peer into the darkness of the corridor. Kara clutched her son's hand and squeezed it tight as their fingers interlocked. Watching the two of them, Tommy wondered how long Danny would be haunted by the things he'd witnessed. Keeping his eyes fixed on them as they stepped outside, he considered the boy's shock and he wondered if it would be as severe as his own had been throughout the years...

Once they'd made it outside, Tommy, Kara, Danny and Stephen loaded up into the car. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis stood by the entryway, merely watching the others make way for their departure.

"Where do we go now?" asked Kara fearfully.

"As far away from Haddonfield as possible," answered Dr. Loomis.

Hearing that, Tommy started up the ignition and turned to Dr. Loomis with a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Come with us," he pleaded with his hands clutching the wheel and ready to burn off to leave this nightmare far behind them.

"No," answered Dr. Loomis in a tired, gravely voice. "I have a little business to attend to here."

With that, Kara, now holding baby Steven, watched from the front seat as Dr. Loomis turned to walk away. As the car pulled away and drove off into the night, she kept watching as he vanished back inside the darkened side entrance of Smith's Grove.

Once inside, Dr. Loomis clutched at the pistol in his coat pocket. Like Tommy, he too recalled that fateful night in '78 where Michael, seemingly vanquished, simply vanished into the darkness. There were, of course, the other battles...Not only that night, but across the past decade or so as well. Each time, Michael Myers was defeated, but was never truly destroyed. Thus, for as relieved as everyone seemed to be, Dr. Loomis knew deep down that this was far from over...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, the point here is to pick up from Curse's inconclusive ending to tie up loose ends and keep the story moving forward to restore Michael's Myer's status a destructive force of nature killing all who cross his path. I wanted to pick up close to the ending and then explain a little bit of what it must've been for Dr. Loomis, Tommy, Kara, and Danny following Michael apparently being taken down...The way both cuts of the movie end, there's a somewhat jarring cut that just shows the group outside before fleeing the scene. With this part of the continued prologue, I wanted not only to correct that, but add in a bit of emotional resonance as well.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading! And any and all comments or criticisms/feedback is always appreciated!


	3. October 31st, 1995 - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third (and final) part of the Prologue and the second concluding part of Halloween of 1995. Here, we see what exactly transpired after the credits rolled at the ending of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Stepping further into the facility, Dr. Loomis could practically sense the evil still lingering in the air like a black cloud of poisonous gas...

He moved past a bloodied corridor where the disheveled remains of a Smith's Grove's employee lay in butchered pieces beneath what was once a door now ripped from its hinges...

Dr. Loomis tightened his grip around his gun as he crept down the narrow passageway back into the laboratory where the showdown happened just minutes ago...

He stepped into the massive chamber and simply stopped. Pulling the pistol completely out of his pocket, Dr. Loomis looked around the empty room before him. To his shock, but not total surprise, all that remained was the tattered mask and a syringe, but no Michael. On the cusp of letting out an exhausted and anguished scream, Dr. Loomis was suddenly interrupted by a shriek from back down the hallway. Clutching the gun even tighter, he ran back to catch up with it.

Dr. Loomis made it as far back as the operating room where a savage slaughtering took place wherein several doctors and medical professionals had been brutally killed just a short while ago. Raising his gun up, Dr. Loomis peered into the room, the lights above still flashing in frenetic bursts. Amidst the bodies were pools of blood and a few displaced entrails here and there...Then, a figure moved among the heaps of bodies...He wore tattered medical clothes that had been splattered with blood and nearly sliced completely to ribbons. To Dr. Loomis' true surprise this time, the man that stood up from the grizzly scene was none other than Dr. Terrance Wynn. With blood spurting down his chin, and barely clinging to life, he smiled at Dr. Loomis.

"Sam," he said, choking out his words. "Sam, Michael is still here..."

"I know," said Dr. Loomis.

"He's far more powerful than we ever thought," said Dr. Wynn grinning. "He can't be controlled. His evil is too great, even for Thorn. That's why you have to help me, because he's far beyond what I thought we could ever contain."

"No," said Dr. Loomis sternly. "This is your monster Terrance. You facilitated his power and helped him grow into what he's become. And now, at the eleventh hour, you come to me for help only after it's gotten out of our hands? Wynn, even the devil couldn't help you now...."

Another scream interrupted the conversation. Following suit, Dr. Loomis stepped back out into the hallway with Wynn trembling behind him. They both looked down the hall with wide eyed terror as the scream became more pronounced with the image of Michael holding up a nurse with one hand and lowering a knife with the other. The doctors watched as Michael plunged the blade into the woman's sternum instantly stopping her screams. He then slammed down the body of the battered nurse, letting her fall in a heap upon a floor. Then, he just stood there in the darkness.

As the two stepped closer, the dim lights revealed the burn scars across his face, mostly kept hidden by his stringy, dark hair. Getting even closer, Dr. Loomis met his gaze with Michael's. He and Dr. Wynn both stood mesmerized by the cold, shark-like stare from the blackest eyes that either one of them still had ever seen. Breaking away from the sight, Dr. Wynn grabbed a scalpel from the tray outside of the operating room. Limping and holding his side, he approached.

"Wait Terrance!" commanded Dr. Loomis.

Ignoring Dr. Loomis' plea, Dr. Wynn kept on his course towards Michael.

"Michael, put the the knife down and come with me," said Terrance.

Michael took one more look at the dead nurse's body and then approached them. Before they could get away, Michael was right in front of them. He swung the knife with barely enough time for Dr. Wynn to dodge its lethal trajectory. Then, it was Dr. Wynn's turn to take a stab at Michael. With the scalpel in hand, he swung, only for his wrist to be deflected like a twig. Michael then snapped Dr. Wynn's wrist, twisting so hard that bone protruded out from the skin. To this, Dr. Wynn let out an agonized scream. Michael then took the inferior blade still dangling from Dr. Wynn's withered fingers. Gripping the much smaller scalpel tool, he plunged it into Dr. Wynn's ribcage before pulling the long surgical machete back out and ramming it into his shoulder. With Terrance still screaming in pain, Michael lifted him up off the ground by his throat. With more blood spurting from his mouth, and between increasingly panicked gasps, Dr Wynn tried to reason with The Shape once more.

"Michael," he said. "Please stop. Michael please, you-

Dr. Wynn's words were suddenly muted as Michael tightened his grip with increasing fury. When he relinquished his hold, his hand was drenched in blood as he ripped out tufts of flesh from what had been Terrence's throat.

Standing there as a mere observer to the horrific sight, Dr. Loomis watched as Michael dropped Dr. Wynn's corpse and turned towards him. He aimed his pistol and fired into Michael's chest. To this, Michael kept walking, completely unfazed by the gun fire. Still desperate to stop him, Dr. Loomis fired again and again and again.

Having emptied his gun, Dr. Samuel Loomis was too exhausted to run or to even try and fight anymore. He lowered his weapon, completely resigned to his fate. For, he knew this was the end result of his obsession with trying to understand and ultimately stop what Michael is. And now, in the midst of his failure, he realized how that treacherous dark road of death had brought him to this final moment of confrontation. 

"You let this rage take you Michael," said Dr. Loomis stoically. "You let it control you until it became you. One day, you too will die Michael. I just wish I could believe you will burn in the flames of hell. But I know even its most wicked demons won’t take you."

As Michael approached, Dr. Loomis closed his eyes, ready for the inevitable. Then, an image of Jamie Lloyd flashed before his mind. He could still see her as a very young and frightened little girl. Then, another image appeared, that of the young Laurie Strode. She was fearful and crying amidst Dr. Loomis' previous attempt to destroy Michael, all before the frightened girl asked "Was it the boogeyman?" In that instant, Dr. Loomis had sudden a surge of resolve summoned up within him and opened his eyes. With the empty gun in hand, and despite how futile of an effort he knew it to be, he began to attack Michael. Dr. Loomis took a swing with all of his remaining strength and fury, letting out a blood-curdling scream that echoed all the back to the empty laboratory in the process. Completely unharmed from the attack, Michael lifted Dr. Loomis up and proceeded to slam his head hard against the wall, letting him fall down. Then, he picked him up again and slammed him again, causing blood to spew out across his face. Before Dr. Loomis could even react to the agonizing pain, his now disfigured face met the wall again. Then, Michael lifted him up once more and slammed him hard against the floor. With the deed seemingly done, Michael let go of Dr. Loomis and kept on walking.

Lying on the ground, Dr. Loomis could barely breathe and found it excruciating to even roll over much less stand up. He closed his eyes, blood pouring down his nose and mouth. For a moment, he thought that Michael may have left him for dead. That brief hope was soon snuffed out when Michael reappeared a moment later above Dr. Loomis. Now, he was fully masked and had the blade in hand. He raised Dr. Loomis up once again then he plunged the blade into his back before dropping him again. With the wound leaving him within inches life, Dr. Loomis looked up at Michael for one last time. Standing before him was The Shape in all of his horrific glory.

Not subdued nor slowed down in any way, Michael was ready to kill again...As Dr. Loomis drew strained and weary breaths and soaked in his own blood, he watched as Michael Myers walked down the corridor and disappeared into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My main point was to answer the eternal question of what exactly happened at the end of Curse's Theatrical cut...It was also felt like a mix of confusing, unsettling and ultimately unsatisfying. That being said, I took a few liberties to fill in a few gaps and provide a narrative explanation so that all of pieces would fit together.
> 
> Thank you for reading and providing feedback! It's always appreciated!


	4. Innocence and Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 years after Michael Myers vanished from Smith's Grove, Tommy Doyle and Kara Strode took the children Danny and baby Steven with them as followed Dr. Loomis' final words to heart. In getting as far away from Haddonfield as possible, they arrived two states over in the small town of Beddleton Ohio. Here, they've lived a life of relative peace as they rebuild there lives and deal as best as they can with the trauma and mental scars of nearly being brutally murdered. Now, on the day of Halloween, that same old familiar shadow of evil looms heavily upon them...

(10/31/2000)

Lying in his bed, eleven year old Danny Strode shook in his sleep. In his mind, he was haunted by the image of Michael Myers. He could still make out that pale face with those eyeholes made of infinite blackness. Peering into them made his blood turn to ice. Then, there was that enormous burnt and scarred up hand, reaching for him. In the dream, he was clutching baby Steven, but no one else was around. To his horror, Michael got closer and closer with no one there to stop him. This time, he was able to squeeze through the barricade and got mere inches away from Danny. Looming over the terrified boy, he reached down to grab the baby.

"No," he called out as he tossed and turned. "Please no! Mommy! MOMMY!"

In an instant, the lights came on and Danny sat up drenched in sweat and with the covers tossed off.

"I'm here baby," said a tired Kara, having jumped out of her bed at the sound of her son's cries. "Everything's okay."

Kara sat on the bed next to Danny. Taking him in her arms, she gently rocked him back and forth.

"It's okay now Danny," she whispered. "Everything's fine, you're safe now. Don't worry."

After a moment of coming back to reality and catching his breath, the terrible boy was able to calm his breathing. 

"I'm okay," said Danny. "It was just another nightmare."

Kara held her son for a moment longer and then pulled away, looking at him.

"You sure you're alright?" she asked with concern. "Think you can go back to sleep?"

"Yeah. I'll be okay," said Danny rubbing his eyes. "It was just a bad dream and it's just because of today."

"I know baby," said Kara. "But it's over now. The bad man can't get you anymore."

With that, Kara was able to coax Danny in to trying to rest his eyes for a little bit longer as she tucked him back into bed. She then stepped back out into the hallway and down to her room across from Tommy's. Exhausted from getting very little sleep herself, she collapsed back into her bed.

From the perspective of an outside observer, it was an odd sort of living arrangement for Tommy, herself and the two children. With her and Tommy, they lived as two platonic adults with the boys referring to the man as "Uncle Tommy." But, this is how it had been since they arrived in Beddleton, Ohio back in mid November of 1995. Getting hundreds of miles away and a few states over from Haddonfield was the best they could do under the circumstances.

The drastic nature of their arrival in Beddleton reminded Kara of the pilgrimage she and Danny made to Haddonfield back in the late summer of 1995. Back then, just like the time after Halloween of that same year, she'd lost everything. This included her home with her and Danny ending up virtually penniless. Thus, moving back in with her family was the only option left to her, even if it meant putting up with her father, John. Nevertheless, she had no choice but to go back to them. Thus, she found Danny and herself living with them in a new town in a new house.

At that time, she knew very little about the old, derelict house over on 45 Lampkin Lane. All that she was made of aware of was that the house had been one of her uncle Morgan's properties. After years of trying to sell the place, he finally relinquished it to John at a drastically discounted price. Settling in with them, she never really thought much about why the house had been on the market for so long. That all changed on Halloween of 1995 when she learned firsthand about the horrifying past of the Myers house. These days, she sort of resented her uncle for inadvertently leading them to their doom, but she couldn't exactly go on hating a ghost. Especially the one of a man she barely remembered. There were, after all, better candidates among the dead with whom she could direct her hatred...

Kara did recall meeting Morgan a few times as a kid, however. She had one fuzzy memory in particular where there'd been a Strode family picnic. She remembered not only seeing her uncle Morgan with her aunt Pamela, but her cousin Laurie as well. The girl was a bit older than her and Kara's memories of her were murky at best. But, she distinctly recalled seeing Laurie sitting alone at one of the park benches with her head down, sobbing. Later on, she remembered overhearing a conversation between her mom Debra and one of the other adults about how Laurie had "gone to see her brother at the hospital" that day, whatever that meant. As far as she knew, Laurie didn't have a brother since she was Kara's only cousin...At the time, she had no context for this conversation and really didn't even think back to attach significance to it until years later. Granted, all of this got overshadowed by the things that really stuck out in her mind from that day.

To her knowledge, that was the last time the whole Strode family had ever gotten together like that. She'd long suspected that it had to do with her father. She recalled how he'd gotten drunk and made a total ass of himself yelling at Morgan about money and property. It seemed like that'd always been his fixation, money and property. Property and money. It was like that was all he ever talked about outside of her fuck ups. Kara knew that she had her own issues to work on and that maybe she wasn't the world's best mother, but she felt like she was just doing her best. Plus, she thought the way John treated her like trash all the time, especially in front of Danny, was total bullshit. To that end, she hated admitting it herself, or even to Tommy during many of their late night talks, but she honestly didn't feel as sad about him dying as she did for her mom and brother. She didn't know if that made her a bad person or not, but it was hardly a priority of hers to dwell on it. Besides, she had Danny, Steven, and Tommy to concern herself with these days. Living with Tommy, she she felt eternal gratitude for all that he did to keep her and Danny safe. The two of them even formed an emotional bond because of their shared experiences. However, romance was still the furtherest thing from her mind. This was especially true now that she found herself to be a mother of two.

"Mommy! Mommy!" bellowed a shrill voice that pierced Kara's skull. "Mommy! Wake up!"

Still groggy, Kara rolled over and to see Stephen.

"Steven?" she asked yawning and looking at the clock on the nightstand. "Honey, it's six thirty in the morning. What are you doing awake right now?"

"Mommy, it's Halloween!" shouted the young boy with excitement.

"Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?" asked Kara sitting up.

Still sleepy, it took all of her strength to not display a look of utter dismay at the very thought of Halloween. Needless to say, it was the only time of year that consistently filled her with dread. It was this expression of fear that she'd been able to effectively suppress and keep hidden from this child. All the same, flashes of that night back in 1995 flooded her mind.

Amidst the worst horrors for her was finding the bodies of her mom and brother. First, she discovered her brother Tim bloodied and battered in bed alongside the mutilated body of his girlfriend Beth. Beth, who'd also been a good friend of Kara's, was another unfortunate casualty caught in the crossfire of that monster's rage. Kara was horrified having witnessed Beth's vicious death from a vantage point at Tommy's old apartment. Terrified, all she could do was watch with little she could do to intervene. Then, a short while later, when running away, she came across her mother's corpse dangling upside down from the ceiling. These were the things burned deepest into her mind. All of this, while being pursued by Michael Myers, was what haunted her the most. But, not conveying the slightest bit of fear in front of Steven, she gave him a a weak smile. Then, came the one question from him that she dreaded the most...

"Mommy, can I go trick r' treating this year?" asked Steven with a hopeful look on his face. "Can I pleeeease?"

"Honey," started Kara. "You know we don't celebrate Halloween, remember? I know you think that me and Uncle Tommy are just being mean, but one day, when you're older, I promise you'll understand."

"But mom!" protested Steven. "All the other kids at school are talking about wearing costumes and getting candy tonight. I wanna go too."

Kara looked at the boy. Here before her was the sum result of all the horrors she and Danny had endured years ago. He was the progeny of pure evil wrought by a diabolical cult whose only goal seemed to be to spill as much blood as possible in a crusade to bring about endless suffering. Still, before her was a simple, innocent child. Despite her losses and all that came about to bring Steven into this world, she still looked at him as one of her own. As such, she loved him just as much as she would've had she'd given birth to him herself.

"Steven, sweetheart," she started. "You know how Uncle Tommy and I feel about Halloween. And you know how upset your brother can get this time of year."

"Cause he's scared of Halloween?" asked Steven. "I know it's spooky, but what's the big deal? Is he afraid of the boogeyman or something?"

"The boogeyman?" asked Kara somewhat startled hearing that term after so many years.

"Yeah," said Steven. "Some of the other kids were talking about it and-

"He isn't real," interrupted Kara. "There's no such thing as the boogeyman."

"Oh, oaky," said Steven. "Then there's nothing to be sacred of, right? Which means we still could go trick r' treating!"

"Steven, it's just not a good idea, okay? Everyone else in the family is just having a hard time right now."

"Okay mommy, I understand," murmured a disappointed Stephen. "I'm gonna go get ready for school now."

"Thanks champ," said Kara, relieved. "Could you go wake up your brother while I get ready?"

"Okay," said Steven.

"Great. Be sure to hurry up and get dressed so you guys aren't late, okay?"

"Alright, mommy."

With that, Kara got out of bed and proceeded to start her day.

In his room, Tommy had already been awake for a little while. After getting dressed, he walked over to his nightstand, opened the top drawer and picked up a small red book. Since it was a journal, it had an simple band around it with clasp to keep it closed. As he had done every year since Halloween of 1995, he pulled the clasp off and opened the diary.

"Talk to me Dr. Loomis," said Tommy in an almost solemn tone. "Help me understand..."

Inside the journal were some of Dr. Loomis' deepest insights as well as his darkest secrets and confessions regarding his life and the Myers case. Flipping through the book, he came across an entry that had been of particular interest to him for quite some time now:

09/27/93

"As another October, and with it another Halloween, approaches, I can't help but use this time to reflect on my work. For the most part, my efforts have been a complete and utter failure. To date, I am no closer to understanding just what Michael Myers is nor do I have any insights into the root causes of his rage. Still, I tried for years to protect the people of Haddonfield from the violent force of nature that he'd become. Every time, my efforts were in vain. Only in these latter years am I willing to accept the reality that he, as the embodiment of pure evil, simply cannot be stopped. For years, my obsession to stop and destroy him blinded me from this simple fact. In truth, Michael Myers may very well be the living incarnation of death itself. As such, he can never truly be vanquished, only merely contained for a while, just as he had been at Smith's Grove for fifteen years. And even long before his escape, when he was six years old, I could recognize that darkness in his eyes. But, there are other factors, I'm almost certain, at play beyond Michael's involvement. I'm convinced of the possibility that some external force may have guided him in some way..."

As Kara stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready for the day, there stood Tommy having just exited his room.

"Morning," he said. "You sleep okay?"

"Like the dead," said Kara walking ahead of him down to the kitchen. "Seriously though, I'm okay, but I'm worried about Danny."

"I know," said Tommy. "I heard him screaming earlier. And really, I get where he's going from. It's not easy living as a survivor. And, while it may not get any less intense with time, it will become more manageable. Believe me."

"Yeah, I really hope so" said Kara. "I mean, I guess you'd know better than anyone, right?"

"That doesn't mean that yours and Danny's trauma doesn't count," countered Tommy. "I know you both carry this tremendous sadness and fear with you too. But, it's okay now. He's dead. It's over. And, I'm going keeping do what I can to take care of you and the kids."

To this, Kara was speechless as she watched Tommy walk down the hall and make his way down to the kitchen. Though somewhat awkward he spoke to people, Kara did find that Tommy could have a way with words ever now and then. 

"Boys," Tommy called up. "I'm making breakfast now, better hurry in here."

Just observing Tommy interact with the children and seeing how they seemed to adore him, Kara allowed herself the selfish indulgence of a genuine smile...Given what this day meant to them, it felt like a bit of a betrayal of sorts. After all, they'd endured so much terror and here she was still able to find a reason to smile. She just felt as though she could never express the full extent of her appreciation for the way that Tommy stuck around to help them pick up the pieces and heal from the horrors of the past. More than that, the four of them had become their own family. And, just like their living arrangements, this too was unconventional. While the children stuck to calling him "Uncle Tommy," he was, for all intents and purposes, the only real father figure in their lives and may as well have been their biological parent.

Once the kids' backpacks and lunches were packed for the day, Kara loaded the children up into her car while Tommy got in his truck. He'd long since been forced to abandon his old jeep. In fact, they ended up, as result of following Dr. Loomis' advice to get as far away from Haddonfield as possible, having to ditch the jeep on the side of the road about a mile outside of Beddleton. There, the vehicle sat with a two flat tires, one of which was basically just metal grinding on asphalt, along with a burnt up engine. Tommy had, at one point, ambitions of going to get the jeep and having it worked on. But, it eventually got towed away after sitting on the outskirts of town for a long time. Before it was taken, he did manage to go back at least once to have the license plate removed as well as any other paperwork or identifying markings. It may have been pure paranoia on his part, but it was the least he could do to cover their tracks and ensure that it couldn't be linked back to them.

And so, both Kara and Tommy headed off in separate directions to go about their day. Despite the fact that this was the dreaded morning of Halloween, it was still a regular day too. This meant, she would be dropping off the kids and going to the daycare center she worked at.

Kara's job was another one of those things she could file under "doing the best she could." Since they arrived in Beddleton, she'd long since given up any futile ambitions she had of ever finishing getting her degree in child psychology. In fact, going to school devoid of her family's support or any real funds was simply a moot point by now. It was, like many other moments in her life, a matter of survival and self-preservation. In a way, the freedom to pursue her desired career path was yet another thing that Michael took from her. Despite this, and even though it wasn't exactly her dream job, Kara was somewhat delighted to find that she actually had quite a knack for childcare and early learning development.

Meanwhile, Tommy was headed off to the plastic manufacturing plant where he worked. Like, Kara, he got the job out of sheer necessity. Unlike her, however, he lacked the personality-type and skills needed for most jobs. But, at the same time, he was a hard worker and good with his hands. So, with the limited skills he had at his disposal, this was a position that worked for him.

Despite their struggles these days, both Kara and Tommy worked very hard and were as responsible as they could be to keep things together for the kids' sake. And they both were willing to do whatever it took to keep them safe, happy, and well. Being able to accomplish this as a team ultimately made it worth it for both of them. Plus, with the two of them both working, they were able to afford a modest lifestyle overall.

In the car, Kara started up the ignition, instantly blaring the radio to the tune of Bother Cane's "Fools Shine On." At the sound of this, she immediately put a stop to the music.

"Sorry about that guys," said Kara pressing hard on the "EJECT" button. "It looks like Uncle Tommy left his music in the tape deck again when he took the car last. Let's find something more soothing to listen to."

Turning the dial on the radio, she came across a classical music station playing Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air."

"That's better," she said, satisfied as they pulled away.

A while later, as they made their way across town, Steven sat up front with Kara going on and on about the day's festivities. He was primarily fixated on what the other kids' in his kindergarten class had discussed going as that year.

"One boy said he was going as the Red Ranger. That's so cool!" shouted Stephen. "And Katie Harding said she was going as a princess...Wish I could dress up too..."

Danny, on the other hand, sat in the back seat, totally disconnected and silent as he stared out the window. Kara looked up into the rearview mirror to see him staring off, not really present. Seeing him that way, she knew how much today still deeply disturbed him.

The environment they were in didn't help matters much either. Despite being far away from Haddonfield, Beddleton, Ohio may as well have been in its clone. It had that same vibe of being a small, American "any town" type of place complete with quaint little houses, one police station, one hospital, one fire station, a library and one public school system. Also, like Haddonfield, it too lent itself well to an immersive fall environment complete with a sea of red, brown, and orange leaves that littered the ground. Among them today were decorations and a barrage of jack o' lanterns. Staring out at their surroundings, Kara hated the atmosphere being created for season. As before, she did her best to disguise her disgust in front of the children.

When they rolled up to the school, both boys jumped out. Beddleton was so small that their elementary and middle schools were interlocked by a a series of covered walkways on the same property. As such, it made it convenient for either Kara or Tommy to drop the boys off at school at the same time.

"I love you both," said Kara. "Have a good day at school."

With that, Kara watched as Danny took Steven's hand and guided him up the steps of the main building. After seeing them go inside, Kara drove off to her job.

At the daycare, Kara parked her car in the rather spacious parking lot. Because it shared occupation with other businesses in one location, Kara had to do a bit of walking in order to get to the building. Still tired from the previous night and early awakening, she walked with a listless, sleep-eyed gait. Then, came that feeling...That almost intangible, near-extrasensory sensation that sent a tingle down her spine. Kara had felt this before. It was the unmistakable feeling that she was being watched...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter establishes the "present day" of the story. In this opening chapter, I'm showcasing the new kind of family that Tommy and Kara have built with the children. One main idea I had here was to contrast Tommy, Kara, and Danny's trauma with how innocent and pure Steven is with no knowledge of his origins or Michael Myers.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and any and all comments/feedback etc. is greatly apprpiectaed!


	5. Phantom Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here, we get a deeper look into Kara and Tommy's daily life in Beddleton. As they go about their day and try to retain a sense of normalcy, the shadow of evil slowly creeps in upon them.

As Kara walked towards the building, she felt a chill. She quickened her pace towards her place of work. After a few feet, she stopped.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself aloud. "This is ridiculous, there is no one there. He's gone..."

Turning around to diffuse her fears, she looked out through the parking lot. Initially, she let out a sigh of relief. But then, she looked ahead across the road. Standing on the other side was a silhouette. Fixated on it as she continued walking towards the building, it was hard for her to make out its shadowy form. Kara kept her gaze in that direction even as an eighteen wheeler passed by, obscuring her view.

When the truck was out of her vantage point, she was startled to see that the figure was gone. All the while, she'd unconsciously quickened her pace, making it a few feet from the entracne. She was still facing the opposite way when she felt something, or someone, slam up against her. To this, she let out a scream.

"Oh!" she said cupping her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"Did I scare you?" asked the raven haired woman before her.

"Oh Sherri, it's you."

"The one and only," said Sherri. "So, what's up? You literally look like you just saw a ghost. You okay?"

"It's nothing," said Kara, half trying to convince herself. "I just get a little extra spooked around this time of year, I guess."

"Well, you know what they say," said Sherri walking up to the door of the daycare with a large bag in her arms. "About it being Halloween and people deserving at least one good scare and all that jazz. Anyway, can you get this door for me?"

"Oh yeah, sure," said Kara opening the door to the immediate sound of a crying infant. "But yeah, I think I've had enough frights for one lifetime."

"I know," said Sherri stepped inside.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, well I just mean that I've seen you get like this before," said Sherri. "I know you how upset you seem to get around this time of year. And, you know, I get that it's probably something very personal. That's why I've never pried, because it's none of my business. I just kinda worry about you is all."

As the the two women walked side by side past the main reception, they looked like a living Halloween decoration with Sherri's straight, jet back hair and Kara's wavy pumpkin orange. The image was made even more complete by the fact that the two women were also around the same age. The woman at the desk, the office secretary, greeted them as they passed by.

"Good morning ladies," said the woman.

"Good morning Claire," said Kara and Sherri, practically in unison.

Making their way down the hallway toward Kara's classroom, the two of them quietly continued their conversation.

"I was gonna say," started Sherri. "We all have things about ourselves that we make it point to not share with others, especially relating to things in our past. So, really, I get it."

"Thanks," said Kara. "But really, I'm okay. Im just being being weird I guess."

"No doubt about it," said Sherri cracking a smile. "I mean, you've been a total weirdo since the day I met you. Crazy as hell too."

To this, both woman laughed.

"But hey," said Sherri. "If you ever just wanna talk about it, I'm always available."

"That's really kind of you, but it's not that a big a deal."

In truth, Kara sometimes wished she could share some of her secrets and fears with others outside of just talking to Tommy about them. While he was an exceptionally good listener, it sometimes wasn't enough for her. It was as if she and him were trapped in an echo chamber of sorts, just bouncing each other's nightmares off one another.

Sometimes, Kara would convince herself that it might not be the worst thing to disclose to an outsider some of the experiences she had in the past. Sherri struck Kara as a good candidate for that for some time now. This was mainly due to how they basically started at the daycare around the same time five years ago.

When Kara first started at the daycare, she was competent and professional enough, but that sense of feeling like a total wreck would come creeping in every so often. Sherri, knowing nothing of her circumstances, was one of the first people in Beddleton to be exceptionally nice to her. Because she felt lost and this woman had been so kind to her, they easily gravitated towards one another.

Oddly enough, it was the sugary sweetness on Sherri's part that often stopped Kara from talking about her past. She didn't want to totally horrify this angelic woman with wild, twisted stories of her fucked up life. Once on that train of thought, she'd soon convince herself that no one, Sherri included, would ever believe such an outlandish set of circumstances could possibly be real without thinking she was completely insane. Thus, she found herself often trapped in a cycle of keeping silent and putting on a facade of normalcy most of the time in Beddleton.

"So, what's in the bag?" asked Kara trying to change the subject.

"Oh! I'm making candied apple slices for the four year olds."

”Yeah, that's just what'll make the kids' parents happy," said Kara cracking a smile. "For them all to be loaded up on sugary treats even before they go out trick r' treating tonight. What's next, a serving of crack and espresso with each apple slice?"

To this, the two women had another shared laugh as they headed into their respective classrooms.

A little while later over at the factory on the other side of town, Tommy sat in the corner of the break room during his lunch. In his hands, he held Dr. Loomis' journal, scanning the pages with intensity. The entry he was currently absorbed in read:

05/19/94

"I was not able to save Jamie Lloyd. It's been nearly five years since that insidious night and I know that my failure will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. But, I know that if I try to pursue her or Michael any further, it will surely my end. Because of this, I have to acknowledge that I've done all I can. More importantly, I need to consolidate some sense of value in the time that I have remaining. As such, I've elected to begin a series of surgeries to have this hideous scar removed from my face. For far too long, it's served as a constant reminder of the evil I've faced and the tragedy of life that followed in its wake. In addition to this, I'm nearing the completion of my manuscript and I'm hoping to get it published by the end of the year. In doing so, I'll finally be able to bury the ghosts of the past."

Transfixed on Dr. Loomis' personal confessions, Tommy continued reading, skipping ahead toward the end of the journal.

10/31/95

"Last night I was paid a visit by an old friend. It was my former colleague form Smith's Grove, Terrance Wynn. I was shocked to see him and the timing of his arrival was quite uncanny. But, more to the point, we've made our way back to the asylum. There, I learned of the terrible news regarding Jamie's fate...I knew her voice on the radio last night was no hoax...To think, she was being kept alive this entire time...This lends some credence to my previous speculations on an outside faction that may be assisting Michael. Why else would she have been still alive after the violent raid on the Haddonfield police station all those years ago? I've suspected for a while that he had help in escaping that night...But to what end? And why was Jamie kept alive only to be killed years later? I know that in going back to Haddonfield, this may be the very last time for me. I know that if I should encounter Michael again, it will most certainly be the death of me. Though it saddens me to say this, I am far too exhausted these days to keep up this crusade. It's this curse of Michael's evil that has poisoned everything like pestilence unto a harvest...insatiable in its bloodlust and unstoppable in it's fury, Michael's rage is like a wild fire. But, my resolve to keep fighting is as strong as it's going to be. So, even if I die in this endeavor, I must continue to do what I can."

“You were right,” muttered Tommy as he continued reading.

“Who was right?” asked the voice from a shadow suddenly hovering over Tommy and blocking his ability to legibly make out the writing.

"Oh hey Colton," said Tommy looking up form the journal.

"Whatca reading?" asked Colton.

"Oh, it's nothing,” said Tommy as he closed Dr. Loomis' diary.

"Oh yeah?" asked Colton. "Really, what is it?"

"It's just this old horror story," Tommy lied. "I like to read it around Halloween time..."

"Gothca," said Colton. "Well hey, I actually gotta get going pretty soon and I'm gonna need you to go back to your station a little early. Is that okay?"

"That's not a problem," said Tommy setting the closed journal on the table before grabbing his bag.

While he felt bad for lying to his coworker, Tommy knew it was for the better. But, when he thought about it, he technically wasn't lying. Dr. Loomis' journal really was like reading an old gothic horror novel. To Tommy, Loomis' words held the same level of horror and dark, poetic dreariness of Poe, Shelley, or Lovecraft. Only, the story being told was far more terrifying because it was about their lives.

"Okay great," said Colton. "Man, you're doing me a real solid."

"What do you mean?" asked Tommy.

"Well, I'm actually leaving early so I can go trick r' treating tonight. How lame is that?"

"I didn't know you were a dad."

"I'm not," said Colton. "I'm actually gonna be looking after somebody else's kid, just keeping an eye on him and making sure he's supposed to be at the right places. I wanted to get out of it, but I already promised."

"Oh," said Tommy. "Yeah, that does kinda sound like bit of a drag, I guess..."

"Tell me about it," said Colton smiling. "But, you know how family can be, practically making you do a blood oath so you'll be obligated to get stuff done."

Tickling himself, Colton bellowed out a self-gratifying laugh. Seeing his coworker so happy, and so seemingly normal, Tommy wished he could join in his joy. But, the day and all that it represented, weighed heavily upon his mind. He tried so many times to just break away from being totally consumed by this obsession. But, he was often drawn back into the realm of Dr. Loomis and Michael Myers like a moth to a flame.

Thinking on those times back in 1978 and 1995, it all felt like some kind of bizarre fever dream at this point, completely removed from reality. For Tommy, it was a daunting task to think completely clearly about what happened so as to sort it all out in his head. This was mainly due to how he and Dr. Loomis had, at some point in the night, been drugged by members of the Cult of Thorn. As such, certain aspects of that night were a confused mess for Tommy. On the one hand, he very lucidly recalls witnessing the operating room bloodbath, but he also had vague visions in his head of seeing Kara on an alter. She was dressed in white mere inches away from being ritually sacrificed by Danny via some sort of hypnosis on the part of Dr. Wynn. There was also this idea Tommy had in his mind about Thorn and some magic stones being able to stop Michael. But, because of the course of time, much of this was now just an obscured series of swirling images in his mind. This made it very difficult for Tommy to discern reality from hallucinatory fantasies regarding Halloween of 1995. Still, his thoughts tended to dwell on that night and the asylum with them drifting mostly towards Dr. Loomis. Tommy still had that image in his head of the doctor standing at that service entrance as it was one that had been so thoroughly seared into his mind.

"Well, hey," said Colton. "I gotta get going. But, I really appreciate this. Thank you so much man."

"No problem" said Tommy. "Any time."

Because of his enforced secretive nature, Tommy's continued sense of guilt persisted over deceiving his coworker Colton Swift. This was because while most people either kept to themselves or looked at Tommy like as a total creep (a social status he never seemed to be able to fully shrug off, even after leaving Haddonfield), Colton had pretty much been the only friend he made since they moved to Beddleton. Granted, Tommy would by no means ever disclose how he, Kara and the kids arrived in town. But, it was good to have a buddy, at least work anyway.

Still thinking on his life in Beddleton, Tommy made his way out of the break room and down a long corridor lined with enormous pipping near the ceiling. Sometimes, looking at these long, dingy corridors, he was reminded of the asylum. In particular, the dungeon-like basement where the Cult of Thorn held their diabolical rituals. He wondered how it was that none of that seemed to ever come to light. He'd looked into the various reports about the crime scene at Smith's Grove. Not once did he ever come across anything about the dark underground revolving around Dr. Wynn and the other followers of Thorn.

There was, also, the matter of the very bizarre laboratory where he faced off against Michael. He didn't recall being able to take note of much of the scenery given the circumstances, but Kara did. Though they hadn't spoken a whole lot about that night here recently, in many of their more thorough conversations she mentioned seeing rows of stillborn fetuses in jars. She told Tommy how she recalled seeing them along with some DNA charts loaded with a bunch of scientific and medical jargon. Granted, she was only able to pick up on a small detail or two before they had to run of their lives and hide.

Still though, Tommy wondered just what it all meant when it seemed like they were the only living survivors to be aware of what was really going on, at least in part. Even more perplexing, he couldn't wrap his head around how all of that could've possibly been covered up. Thinking on these things, he was almost all the way back to his work station when he heard a gut wrenching scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be interesting to delve into how both Tommy and Kara reflect on the events of their shared dark past while trying to go about their daily lives. Meanwhile, the plot is starting pick up as evil begins to creep into their peaceful lives...The only question is, has Michael Myers returned to kill again? 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and any and all comments/feedback etc. is greatly apprpiectaed!

**Author's Note:**

> I came across the original version of this story through an acquaintance on Reddit (Ghost_Nation03). 
> 
> The first version was a huge mess, but had a lot of interesting conceptual ideas. 
> 
> Found here:
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/647869271-haddonfield-the-wrath-of-michael-myers-novella
> 
> My main idea was that the ending of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (the sixth entry in the franchise), despite having the two versions - Theatrical and Producer's Cut - is rather inconclusive. As such, I felt that there were some interesting narrative loose ends that could be teased out while also allowing for the story to be expanded upon in such a way to restore The Shape as a singular force of ultimate evil. 
> 
> Also with this story, I am treating the Theatrical ending as the canon ending of the sixth film. However, I am basically remixing plot elements from both cuts to create a more cohesive story.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Any and all comments or feedback/criticism are greatly appreciated!


End file.
